Q: Thanks for joining me today! Why don't we get started and have you introduce yourself to the audience?

I am an otaku ... and I am unashamed to say so! I live in St. Paul Minnesota, a city that rolls up the sidewalks at 6pm and trows up the closed sign. I have more in common with Vlad, then with you young whippersnappers.

Q: Well thanks for joining me today Judgeholden. Let's start things off and ask how you got involved in editing?

If you are looking to lay the blame ay someone's door steps, then it fully lies with Phade ... I had no idea that AMVs even existed until I met him at Anime Detour '04 (methinks). He ran an AMV room there (still does to this day), and I was like: "These things rock! Anime? Music? Together? It's like a Reese's Peanut-butter Cup for your eyes and ears! Mind blown!" Then I came here, and the first videos I downloaded were "Tainted Donuts" and "Engel" ... I think I pooped myself a little watching those two videos (of course, I could have been the Taco Bell I ate as well). A few months latter I started working on my first AMV.

Q: So care to share with us the secret style of Hana no judgeholden? Or in a less stupid way of saying it, care to less us know about your process of editing?

My process is rather mundane. Often it starts with hearing a random song and think ... "This could make a fun AMV" Then I think of an anime that "fits" with the song ... often I don't find that "Perfect combination", so I end up using a multi-anime approach. When I open Adobe, I often start at the part of the song that I have the clearest idea of what I want to do and finish that section first, then work around that section. Whatever section I am working on, I rework it many times until I am happy, then move on. Often, the last part I do is the beginning of the video, for it always seems to be the hardest part for me.

Q: You're well known for Fanservice and Fun/Upbeat videos. Is there something about these kind of videos that you like to edit most? At the same time, is there any advice you may have for potential editors into these genres?

Well, I just wanna have fun while editing, hence I like to edit things that are fun, actiony, and maybe a little humorous (and I like da girls). Anyway, my biggest piece of advice is to try to make yourself smile, then hope others at least grin from time to time.

Q: While you may be known for Fanservice and Fun/Upbeat videos, you also have done a lot of very fantastic dramatic work. Care to tell us a little bit about your drama AMV history?

Well, like many people I started doing Drama videos. When I do make a drama I feel I need to tell a story of some sort, so they end up being very story driven. Or try to "say" something like "A City Divided". But overall I don't consider my Dramas to be very good.

Q: On your profile, you mention that you are "The most easily forgotten editor on the Org". I dunno about that personally, but care to expand upon this?

This a joke from the last interview I did with Nate .... he started it with "Today we are here with Basher" ...

Q: You mentioned in your journal that you've thought about retiring from drama videos? Wwhy?

Cuz, I am not that good at them, plus I have more fun editing upbeat things.

Q: You've been a long time member of the community. What do you think about the org today as compared to when you first joined? Any interesting tales to tell?

Overall it's just less active. I could go on and on, but it's all been said a million times before ... but overall it's just not as fun of a community as it used to be ...

Q: Most of your AMVs have a similar theme in common, utilizing interesting and integrated effects into the world. Like in "Out to Save The World" with the brick wall and the GITS photographs, or in "Panty Raid 2" with the flames integrated into the character costumes. Care to explain about your methods of effects work, or just about your style in general?

You didn't mention the video I am most proud of, when I comes to blending effects into the world. The video that even Niotex said he wasn't sure how I did some of them (when it came out), and Impressed Decoy.

Simply put, I like to make my effects blend into the video. And since I do a lot of Multi-Anime stuff I like to have the scenes connected to one another, so this means a tons of rotoing (like Konata in the audiance of a Dead Girls concert). It also means doing things that people rail against in the forums, like STAR WIPES! Disco Heaven has TONS of them, sometimes you have to stick to the man, and do what you feel works!

Q: Speaking of your AMVs, is there anything you're working on that we might be excited about seeing soon?

I am really moving towards doing "Something different" ... not unique, but just different. Every time I start an amv, I end up not doing what I really wanted to do, because the scenes did not exist and there was no way to really combine scenes to make the one I wanted ... So, I have decided to try my hand at C4D and start making the videos I really want to ... But, then they wouldn't really be AMVs? or would / will they be?

Q: Well thanks for joining me today Judgeholden. To end off the interview, any inspiring words of wisdom to offer our audience?

Try to have fun ... even I have a hard time taking that advice, so It must be good. =O

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Next week on "The Lip Flapper"

This Friday, we have a special bonus Lip Flapper. Next week? We hit it up with ReggieSmalls!

JudgeHolden wrote:But overall I don't consider my Dramas to be very good.

I call bullshit on that, Judge. Your drama videos were a big part of what inspired me to make my own videos. I loved that you could tell a dramatic story that didn't have to revolve around sappy teen romance every time. You explored a lot of different concepts and drew attention to some really great series through those videos (I would have never seen Kino's Journey or Madlax had it not been for your videos).

JudgeHolden wrote:You didn't mention the video I am most proud of, when I comes to blending effects into the world. The video that even Niotex said he wasn't sure how I did some of them (when it came out), and Impressed Decoy.

At the time using Shake was somewhat unheard of, no real Windows side application that did that kind of tracking right out of the box. I'm totally covering all my bases here, have a reputation to uphold etc